To help,aid and assist you, let me suggest the following for your study and consideration:
First, quickly do a search and find Mel Hankla's website which has a section entitled "The Folky Artist". He will show pictures of horns by a F&I-RevWar Horner (that we have yet to identify) who created powderhorns with a wealth of Masonic Symbolism on every one of the 39 horns that have to date been located. Excellent illustrations on these.
Several books,IF you can locate them.
1."Bespangled Painted & Embroided.
2.Masonic Symbols In American Decorative Arts
Both of these are published by the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum Of Our National Heritage,Lexington,Mass. Sorry, but I don't have the address or phone number.
3.Symbols Of Freemasonry,ISBN 0 76074 2359,published by Barnes & Noble,so it should be readily available.
All of the above address the 1750-1830 time period. The "Folky Artist" horns have a good representative sample of symbolism that a
Scottish Rite Mason will easily recognize.(And also an observant,questioning Third Degree :winking: ).
IMO symbolism should be quiet and suttle,and not necessarily stand out as the only thing to see. Work it into other scrimshaw things that you create.You want to remind yourself-in a quiet sort of way-of the principals of Freemasonry without necessarily advertizing. And remember....what you create today may very well be observed and studied hundreds of years into the future! You can't imigine the total thrill you'll get from examining something like a powderhorn and seeing something that catches your attention and makes you take a closer look and suddenly see and understand that the maker/owner is speaking to YOU from the distant past :bow:. Just my thoughts :hmm:.